button in Safari$800 Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2026 RGPS Passport Council Bluffs
$800 Main Event
Day: 1a
Players Left 146 / 321
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Chip Counts
Chip Counts
10
215,000
Level 14
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Lucas Drummonds earned the last bustout of the night, but that was nothing new for him on Day 1a of the RunGood Passport Season Council Bluffs Main Event.
The Irondale, Missouri native built up a massive stack of 673,000 in the opening flight, making him the overwhelming chip leader as 16 players bagged up for Day 2. “He’s just been drilling everyone’s faces,” Nick Barksdale joked about Drummonds, who had more than double anyone else in the field for much of the last few levels of the night.
Drummonds began building a big stack when he hit a flush on the river to bust Jeremy Corr. He then beat Barksdale with two pair to win another big pot, and finally spiked a straight on the river to bust Ben McCoy on the money bubble. Drummonds already has one RunGood Poker Series ring this year, capturing the PokerNews Powerstack title at the RGPS stop in Tulsa in January.
Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lucas Drummonds | United States | 673,000 | 112 |
| 2 | Kevin Berthelsen | United States | 381,000 | 64 |
| 3 | Ryan Remmes | United States | 312,000 | 52 |
| 4 | Jacob Long | United States | 307,000 | 51 |
| 5 | Nate Steuer | United States | 292,000 | 49 |
| 6 | Courtney Stott | United States | 282,000 | 47 |
| 7 | Kevin Watson | United States | 277,000 | 46 |
| 8 | Jon Maras | United States | 264,000 | 44 |
| 9 | Zac Campbell | United States | 248,000 | 41 |
| 10 | Jeremy Wieck | United States | 215,000 | 36 |
Kevin Berthelsen is his closest challenger with 381,000, while Ryan Remmes (312,000), Jacob Long (307,000), and Nate Steuer (292,000) round out the top five. Other players advancing to Day 2 include Jon Maras (264,000) and Jesse Keel (159,000).
A total of 130 players came to the Horseshoe Council Bluffs today to chase the title. Those who will have to try again on another flight include RunGood ambassadors Delilah Lerner, Grant Hinkle, Taylor Howard, and Jeff Copeland, as well as Barksdale, Ryan Phan, and Brett Slezak.
Day 1a ended with 23 minutes remaining in Level 14 with blinds of 3,000/6,000 and a big blind ante. The action on Day 2 picks up on the earliest finishing time from one of the three starting flights. Day 1b is tomorrow at noon local time, while Day 1c begins at 6 p.m. All surviving players then combine at noon on Sunday, April 26, to play down to a champion.
PokerNews will be back tomorrow following all the action from Day 1b and providing live updates.
Level 14
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
673,000
73,000
|
73,000 |
|
||
|
381,000
101,000
|
101,000 |
|
312,000
12,000
|
12,000 |
|
307,000 | |
|
292,000
72,000
|
72,000 |
|
282,000
132,000
|
132,000 |
|
277,000
23,000
|
23,000 |
|
264,000
16,000
|
16,000 |
|
248,000
38,000
|
38,000 |
|
|
215,000
65,000
|
65,000 |
|
179,000 | |
|
||
|
159,000
1,000
|
1,000 |
|
95,000
5,000
|
5,000 |
|
95,000
25,000
|
25,000 |
|
78,000
18,000
|
18,000 |
|
70,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
Level 14
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
On the first hand of hand-for-hand play, Ben McCoy got the rest of his 25,000 in the middle from the button as Lucas Drummonds put him at risk in early position.
Ben McCoy: A♣2♣ 
Lucas Drummonds: 9♥6♣
Drummonds picked up a straight draw on the 7♠K♠Q♥8♠ flop, while the 5♥ river gave him his straight and sent McCoy to the rail on the money bubble.
The remaining 16 players are bagging up their chips for the night.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
650,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
Level 14
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
With 17 players left, action is going hand-for-hand until there is one more elimination.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
Busted | |
|
|
Busted |
Level 14
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Action folded to Ben McCoy who shoved all in from the small blind, and Jesse Keel took a few minutes before calling for 78,000 in the big blind.
Jesse Keel: A♠8♥
Ben McCoy: A♣2♥
Keel had McCoy dominated and improved to a pair on the 8♣10♠4♠ flop. The rest of the board ran out K♦2♠ and Keel doubled up.
"Sorry for the nit-roll," Keel said to McCoy after the hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
160,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
|
|
20,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
Level 14
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Nick Barksdale bet 15,000 from the big blind on a flop of 8♥3♣6♣. "That was a pretty good flop," Zac Campbell said as he moved all in from early position, and Barksdale called for his last 90,000.
Nick Barksdale: 8♦5♠
Zac Campbell: A♣8♣
"You weren't lying. I'm dead," Barksdale said after finding out Campbell had hit top pair with an ace-kicker and the nut flush draw. The rest of the board ran out J♠K♥ and Barksdale was sent to the rail.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
210,000
90,000
|
90,000 |
|
Busted | |
|
|
Busted |
Level 14
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
A player under the gun moved all in for 65,000 and the table folded around to Jon Maras who snap-called in the big blind.
All-In Player: 7♠7♣
Jon Maras: A♦K♦
The Q♦8♦Q♣ flop gave Maras a flush draw to go with his overcards, and he hit the J♦ on the turn to make his flush. The river was the 9♥ and Maras scored the knockout.
Ryan Phan was also recently eliminated.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
280,000
70,000
|
70,000 |
|
|
150,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
|
Busted |
Level: 14
Blinds: 3,000/6,000
Ante: 6,000
Level 13
: Blinds 3,000/5,000, 5,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
550,000
70,000
|
70,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
300,000
80,000
|
80,000 |
|
|
300,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
|
280,000
130,000
|
130,000 |
|
|
270,000
30,000
|
30,000 |
|
|
210,000
30,000
|
30,000 |
|
|
145,000
29,000
|
29,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
120,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
|
120,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
60,000
5,000
|
5,000 |
|
|
50,000
10,000
|
10,000 |
